This invention relates to controlling emissions and, more particularly, to purifying an exhaust stream before release in the atmosphere.
Coal-fired power plants, vehicles, and the like typically produce an exhaust stream as a byproduct. The exhaust stream generally includes byproduct particles and emission gas containing sulfur, chlorine, mercury, or other pollutants.
A variety of devices exist to purify such exhaust streams. However, these devices typically have drawbacks that prevent widespread implementation. For example, many devices significantly obstruct through-flow of the exhaust stream, thereby resulting in a considerable pressure drop that limits purifying capacity of the device. Some devices also target only one type of pollutant in the exhaust stream, such as the byproduct particles, while neglecting removal of the gas byproduct. Furthermore, some devices operate inefficiently, are not cost effective, and are not even capable of removing a desirable amount of the pollutants from the exhaust stream. Thus, there is a need for a novel emission treatment method and system that is capable of removing byproduct particles and undesirable gases while providing a relatively low pressure drop. This invention addresses those needs while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of the prior art.